Elgin Baylor

In many athletes' minds, success is a black-and-white proposition. Either you attain a certain goal or accolade, or you fail. Even in team sports, where many players say they would trade any individual honor for a championship, leading the league in a specific statistic or being named most valuable player can enhance a player's legacy. "If I'm an athlete, if that's my career, then I'm aware of how to be remembered," said Dr. Casey Cooper, a sports psychologist based in Lake Forest. "I have to value these awards that I might not have otherwise, because I want to keep on having a career." Plenty of great athletes have managed to have...

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In many athletes' minds, success is a black-and-white proposition. Either you attain a certain goal or accolade, or you fail.
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